Belly Button Lint: Rick Ramsey's Weblog

Real bikers don't purport. Or profess. They don't suggest, recommend, or wonder. So let me just tell you that motorcycle gear has a weatherspan of 10 degrees. A leather jacket works between 70 and 80 degrees. A t-shirt, between 80 and 90 degrees. Here's the weatherspan for my jackets:

Motorcycle: Harley Davidson Softail Standard, no windshield, no fairings
Conditions: Dry, 60 minutes minimum, freeway speeds

90 degrees and up
- Get hosed down every 30 minutes

80-90 degrees
- Mesh jacket or t-shirt

70-80 degrees
- Leather jacket

60-70 degress
- Leather jacket + warm liner

50-60 degrees
- Windproof jacket

40-50 degrees
- Windproof jacket + fleece

30-40 degrees
- Windproof jacket + electric heat

below 30 degrees
- Nothing works

In the event of rain....

If you have waterproof gear, rain reduces the effective temperature by 10 degrees. If you don't have waterproof gear, it reduces the effective temperature by over 20 degrees.

There you have it. If you disagree, take me out back of the dumpster and beat your opinion into me, like a good biker would.